Hey everyone~~

It's been nearly a year since I wrote, and I have another summer to do so! Here we go with another one of my random thoughts turned into a tale... "New Life, New Dreams" Enjoy, and please review! Comments will be much appreciated :D

xoxo KH Love Always

P.S. Some of the events in this story are based off of experiences from my friend. Please respect them. And I do not own any of the Kingdom Hearts game series or the Final Fantasy series.

*~* New Life, New Dreams *~*

Namine entered the gates of the freshman quad at Radiant Garden University, and an unsettling feeling lay at the core of her heart. She looked around nervously; freshmen and their parents were moving suitcases, refrigerators, and boxes under the blazing heat towards the dormitories, with upper-classmen in red and white t-shirts guiding them towards their rooms. The heat was unbelievable, especially in a city known for its breezy daytimes. Namine wiped the sweat off of her forehead, and briskly walked towards her dormitory building.

"Namine!" her mother exclaimed. "Wait for us!"

Namine turned around and smiled. "You know I won't leave you behind, right Ma?"

"Of course." Right then, Namine's father caught up to them, and placed two cubic boxes on the ground in front of him. He gazed up at the marble columns and balcony of the dormitory, where on the marble slab that constituted the balcony were carved the words "Strife Hall."

"So this is it? I can't believe it... Wow."

"It's so beautiful, right Dad?" Namine asked as she glanced at her father.

"Not just that, hon. My little girl's leaving me for a wider world," her father said as he gave a proud smile to Namine.

Namine ran a few steps towards her father and hugged him. "Thanks so much, Dad..."

"It's not bye yet, sweetie. That time will definitely come. Let's go get your things organized," her mother kindly said as she lifted one of Namine's suitcases and entered the building.

After another hour or so, all of Namine's belongings were put in their right place in the trapezoid-shaped room. Lucky enough to get a single, Namine took advantage of the future privacy she would have among her peers. Her twin bed had clean white sheets and pillows embroidered with white palm trees, all stitched by her own hand. A small bonsai tree graced the window sill, and caught the incoming rays of sunlight perfectly in all its minute glory. The drab brown curtains were replaced with sheer white linen curtains, adding extra brightness to the room. Three black, vertical mirrors were aligned on top of the two-tiered bookcase on the adjacent wall, creating an illusion that the room is bigger than it is. Namine's clothes and winter-wear were neatly tucked into the provided bureau, and toiletries occupied the lower tier of the bookcase while books filled the other. On top of the desk, which faced the window and the front of the dormitory, laid a seventeen-inch HP laptop and a small pencil cup filled with various assortments of pens and pencils from the nearby Asian supermarket. Her backpack laid by the side of the desk, already prepared for the first day of college classes with notebooks, her Hello Kitty pencil case, and folders for each class. Lastly, Namine's beloved painting easel, stand, and stool, along with all her paints and brushes, were arranged in a compact fashion next to her desk. Namine patted her hands and smiled at the joint accomplishment of her family at organizing her future home.

"Everything's done! Ahh..."

Namine's father grinned, and her mother tried not to shed tears. However, Namine caught the change in expression, despite the glimmering smile she gave. "Mom..."

"Oh, honey, I didn't think this moment would have to come so fast..." her mother stopped to take a deep breath, as she wiped her tears. Namine rushed to hug her.

"Mom, don't worry about me. You know I can take care of myself! I'm finally legal. It's time for me to grow older."

"But you know you'll always be my baby, no matter how much older you get. You'll get the most out of this wonderful place, right?"

"Of course, Ma! I know..."

Namine's mother patted her head as Namine let go and went to give a hug to her father. He laughed heartily as he squeezed the life out of Namine. "Dad..."

"Sorry, kid, but I had to give you a big one. You know your Mom and I are so proud of you."

Namine smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"You won't hear that from me every day though, kiddo. You'll be good?"

Namine laughed. "Yup!"

"And it means no dating. Nada."

Namine looked wide eyed at her father in perplexed confusion. "You're kidding, right?"

"Hon," Namine's mother started. "Namine's fine. She knows what she's doing, right?" she asked as she turned her attention to Namine.

"Of course, Mom and Dad. I'll be careful. For sure."

Her father sighed. "Alright, then. My little girl's growin' up! Life will be complicated from here on. Just take everything as it comes, yeah?"

"I know, Dad," Namine grinned. "Don't worry! I'll be fine here. Trust me!" she exclaimed as she sent another dazzling smile at her parents.

"Just know that if you need to talk about anything at all, don't hesitate to call home, 'kay hon?" her mother asked.

"Drilled in, Mom. It's all good."

"Time to go, then?" Namine's father asked her mother.

"Let's go... Take care, Nam,"said her mother.

"Thanks, Ma, Dad... I'll walk down with you," and Namine walked her parents back to their car before bidding them another nearly tearful goodbye.

Namine walked back towards Strife Hall, as giddy as she is excited, and glided (nearly) into her room. After hearing her residential advisors call for a floor meeting, she closed the door to her room and walked into the common room, anticipating a memorable and rewarding freshman year.

This is a little short, since it's more of an introduction. I promise future chapters will be longer! Hope it was a good read for you! I also promise you that you'll see very familiar characters soon. See you soon!

xoxo KH Love Always